I came to the bar to have an espresso martini because I have heard amazing things about this bar and the location. I asked for an espresso martini. I had asked if I could get tequila instead of vodka. The bartender came over and to make sure that that I had an amazing experience, she poured me a little bit to try and it was an amazing cocktail. Jen is insanely experienced bartender, and I hope she stays around for a while, she honestly created the best experience to just have a nice cocktail. Will go back every time if jen is there !!! read more

We visited this restaurant during a weekend trip to Catalina Island to celebrate my birthday, and overall, the experience was mixed. We arrived at 7:59 PM, knowing the restaurant was open until 9, but were told we could only sit at the bar, even though there were empty tables. Only after my Bf spoke with the host again were we seated at a table -- and guests who arrived after us were also seated without issue. This felt confusing and left a negative first impression. On the positive side, our server was friendly, and the complimentary spiced popcorn was a nice touch -- we actually really enjoyed it. The food, however, was just average. My pasta was dry at first and then overly oily, and my partner's fish dish was okay but the portion was very small for the price. The cocktails were inconsistent -- mine was strong, while my bf mojito tasted almost non-alcoholic. Overall, I expected a more welcoming and better-balanced experience, especially for a birthday. The atmosphere is nice, but the service and value didn't quite match the prices. read more

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Came too late for dinner so we only sat at the bar and got drinks. Was a great time since the bartenders were super nice. Once I heard that the Buffalo Milk is a Catalina Island special, I was hell bent on trying it and I'm so glad I got to have my first one here! It was so delicious and even my husband (who is normally a banana hater) loved this drink! It's a boozy milkshake is how our bartender put it and we couldn't agree more. read more

So underrated! A bar/restaurant up the street was busy as on an off season Sunday, and Grille wasn't. Preposterous! We loved the special of lamb grilled, tomato soup and filet Mignon whilst imbibing. Service was wonderful, I think I've two night we had Summer and David. Any establishments would be lucky to have them. read more

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Had drinks at the bar. They were excellent. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. The Buffalo Milk drink was amazing. read more

Avalon Grille - Buffalo Milk. - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

We almost didn't try this place due to the Yelp ratings (we typically only go to restaurants with 4 stars and above) but I'm so glad we did! It was a delicious meal, great service, and we were seated fast in a nice quiet restaurant. I had the Steak Frites and the steak was cooked to perfection. Hubs had the chicken dish and as he said "it's one of the best chicken dishes I've had in a while". We also got a side of the Tomato Orzo (so tasty) and we really enjoyed the popcorn to start; it was unique and tasty. Overall great experience and I think this place is severely underrated. It was our best meal of our whole two day trip to Catalina! read more

Avalon Grille - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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We had a great dinner at Avalon Grille. We arrived around 7pm on a Friday night and had no issue getting a table since it was February and there weren't too many tourists staying on the island. The staff was very personable and friendly. We started with the ahi sashimi which came with a delicious tomato puree and seaweed salad. We also enjoyed the picana steak frites served with a side of carmelized onions. We also ordered the lobster and pork belly smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese which was tasty enough with the pork belly and cheese and didn't need the lobster. If you find yourself on the island past 5pm I highly recommend Avalon Grille! read more

I was not impressed with this place. We were just looking for a place to eat dinner. Most of the other restaurants were crowded and had a large alcohol presence that we did not want. We came here and the restaurant did look nice. Very clean and well dressed tables. The menu did not have much variety and everything was overpriced. We ended up leaving and going elsewhere for food. read more

So far this was the best fine dining experience we have had in Avalon. While Bluewater was portentously fine dining, this was by far the best combination of good food, service and ambiance. The pork chop was perfectly cooked and balanced with candied cherries. The octopus was amazing, and the muscles were incredible when combined with the savory sauce. An elegant setting for a very romantic dinner. read more

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Amazing Service! not sure if it's because it was reserved for a Party Of 22, or maybe they just have exceptional service. From the time you walk in, get seated, place your order & wait for drinks & food to come out. Everything we ordered from the menu was also Yummy & to us, worth the money we paid for our Large Party. A ton of seating throughout the restaurant & the ambiance is A1. Our party was happy that we decided to have dinner while visiting the island for the first time, and we'll definitely be back, especially if we've tried all the restaurants on island. Thank You so much for the experience read more

Avalon Grille - Yummmy - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

Came to catalina for my birthday and this place did not disappoint i got the ribeye and my wife got the branzino the fish was one of the best she has ever had and the shrimp side that comes with it was fantastic and i was treated with a whistle pig flight 6 yr 10yr and 12 yr. Fantastic everything... read more

Avalon Grille - Fantastic food and service - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Visiting Avalon for an extended weekend for my birthday so we decided to give Avalon Grille a try for dinner and had a very nice experience. They don't take reservations, like most restaurants on Catalina, but there was no wait when we arrived at 5:30 and were able to be seated right away. All the staff that we encountered, including our server, were very polite and everything that we ordered came out pretty fast. You can tell the inside has been recently remodeled, and there is a large oval bar in the middle of the restaurant with TVs around it so this would be really nice place to have dinner and/or drinks. As a few reviews mentioned, it is a bit pricey, but not overly so. It's less than you would spend at a lot of restaurants in West LA so I feel that it is fair, especially given it's proximity to the water. They have a lot of great dishes on the menu so it took a minute to decide what I wanted to order. For my meal, I decided to start with the Watermelon Feta Salad and really enjoyed it. It was a good size portion and would be easy to split between two people, but it's also the perfect amount for one person if you're hungry. For my entrée, I chose the Whole Branzino and really liked it. I get Branzino often so I've tried it all over California, and beyond, and I can say that this is a good version. It did have quite a few bones in it, but that's what you get when you do a Whole Branzino. The side succotash was really nice and overall it was very good. Given the limited options in Avalon, I would say this is one of the best places to grab dinner and certainly has an amazing location. I would recommend and would try it again next time I'm on the island. read more

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The ambiance is stunning. Such a vibe. I love how service is super friendly. The popcorn before dinner is yummy. Good palate cleanser. However the food is just mid. The choices aren't great and everything tasted okay. Nothing out of the ordinary. I expected my taste buds to be blown away. Tad disappointing there. read more

Avalon Grille - Prawns & steak & fries - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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The only time I've been to Avalon Grille was when they used to do a buffet breakfast years ago, pre-pandemic. This was my first dinner here. It's one of Avalon's more upscale and elegant restaurants, though it is hardly stiff or formal. It's definitely on the pricier side. I went on the Sunday of President's and Valentines Day weekend, There was a special 3-course prix fixe menu with 2 options for each course (also available a la care), plus the usual Sunday prime rib special (Sunday Wine and Prime Night), plus the usual menu. I already had my eye on the prime rib, and was planning to compare it to the one served at nearby El Galleon, but my visit there fell through due to illness. I started with their flash-fried green beans off their regular menu. It was a tasty and generous portion with a fairly light batter, served with spicy mayo and garlic aioli. Before that, every table is given a cone of truffled popcorn to whet your appetite. The Grille's prime rib (12 oz $46, 16 oz $52) is a classic presentation with au jus, creamy horseradish, truffled mashed potatoes and charred asparagus. The prime rib was served medium rare as I ordered it and was delish. The au jus was on the viscous side and wine-forward, and the horseradish could have had more kick. The asparagus was fab. I skipped dessert because my hotel offered milk, cookies and gelato/sorbets. Service was very friendly, including the bussers. In warmer weather, there is a side patio. Would recommend. read more

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Catalina island is known to be beautiful but the food is okay. I did receive a complimentary carrot cake for my birthday which was nice. The truffle fries were delicious. The lobster mac n cheese was okay but not life changing. The artichoke dip was fine and the steak was okay. The server would disappear and we wouldn't see them for a while and we only saw them again when it was time to ask for the check. We had to ask another waitress if she could please provide us water. This place is busy so it's understandable but wish our server was a bit more attentive. I would say this place is one we will skip next time we visit. read more

Avalon Grille - Carrot Cake - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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I was recently in Avalon for four days in January (super off season) which means most places were closed and doing repairs/updates on their establishment in preparation for Valentines Day. So luckily of the restaurants that were open, this was one of them. I had been here before but just to have a cocktail so it was nice to try their menu out too! But shout out to Angelyna who was my bartender/server each meal I had there! She makes one of the best "paper plane" cocktail I've ever had! Highlights on my meals: Ramen Night (Thursday) shrimp tempura: Delicious miso broth, shrimp tempura, with all the classic fixings including a very yummy soft boiled egg. Very generous portion, be ready for leftovers or being super super full. Ahi Oscar Delicious seared ahi on a bed of risotto and broccolini. Super delicious, light but filling meal Grilled octopus (starter) One of the best things in the menu, Smokey and spicy tentacles perfect cooked and soooo delicious. Tomato soup (starter) This is a very interesting take on tomato soup, it includes a "AG" monogram on the soup with basil oil that added a pesto flavor to the soup. On the side, there was a crispy bread with a little bit of cheese and cherry tomatoes on it. Cocktails I had: Old Fashioned Paper Plane (off menu) Good selections of beer too! Gorgeous ambiance, with classic dark wood and rich fabrics making for a warm and cozy (even perhaps romantic!) evening The manager was so friendly too, remembering my name and by my fourth night on the island was greeted with a "welcome home" from him and was treated like a local. read more

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Good location and great little happy hour from 4-5pm! We enjoyed all of cocktails and pork belly. We especially loved the passion fruit foam/whipped cream! They were training their staff so can't really comment on service. read more

Avalon Grille - El coco loco - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Food: delicious! The pork chop was cooked perfectly and pairs with the most tasty smashed potatoes and asparagus. The Watermelon Feta Salad was refreshing and just the perfect amount of dressing on it. Dessert: we had the flourless decadent chocolate cake, still drooling. It has a bit of raspberry sauce that seems to make the chocolate even more decadent! Bad picture included. The honeybuns always rushing me to snap the pics so he can eat! Service: On point! Our waiter was Elvis. He and the rest of the staff were attentive and he described everything well. The staff really seem to work as a team. Ambiance: We went on a Tuesday after Labor Day and it was pretty empty. We had the best evening since it was just a few couples. Romantic vibes, dim lighting and ocean views. Price: Extremely decent! The portion sizes are definitely shareable and the quality of the food, great! read more

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Came here for my sister's birthday party and the food and service were amazing. Everyone's food looked well cooked and plated. If you are looking for a great place for dinner, check them out. Will be back! read more

Rushton is the best ever!! Would honestly go and request him. The steak frites and salad are amazing and the complimentary popcorn is addictive! Drinks, service, food, ambiance was all amazing. Rushton, we love you. Not to mention, we were on our way out the door after being super annoying asking a million questions to which they answered every single one, and they handed us a bag full of brownie cookies, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate chip cookies. Thank you Jose read more

Avalon Grille - Steak frites, seasonal salad, lemon broccolini - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Tasteful delicious dinner will recommend host amazing server was helpful food ambiance good service will come back again Everything was amazing. Good food overall loved it. read more

Avalon Grille - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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If you're in Avalon, Catalina, The Avalon Grill is a place to check out. It's got a most awesome location right on front row of Avalon harbor. The chow is great-it's pretty darn great. The location is front row. The ambiance is cool & romantic. My babe thought the halibut she ordered was fantastic. YMMV but I'll go back for more. read more

Sometimes the food ordered tastes great, and sometimes the dishes are just so-so, leaving me feeling unwell after eating. The environment is quite nice, suitable for group dining. read more

Avalon Grille - steak - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Raul at the bar makes the best mixed drinks The Fuego was Fuego. Made with Mezcal and a hint of citrus ‍

Beautiful, warm interior and ambiance. Food selection is somewhat limited but has great choice for starters and main courses - - and the food is good! Great bar, wine selection and one of the best Manhattans I have ever had. But, best is the friendly, professional staff. We went there to dinner twice and both times the service was too-notch. You can't go wrong. read more

Here for a business dinner. Enthusiastic greeting as we walked up to check in for our reservation by Stephane and Stephanie. We shared crustini (tomato, cheese, crispy procuitto), and munched on the seasoned popcorn on the table. I had the octopus and little gem salad (pictured). Others in our party had the scallops, their black Angus filet (colleague said it was the best he had eaten), Korean shrimp stir fry. One of our party was a vegetarian and they were very accommodating, she had a mix of the summer succotash and wild mushrooms. Everyone raved about their meals. read more

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I ordered grilled octopus to go. No one warned us it would be a long wait. I waited over 30 minutes and got one tentacle. We got an apology from the manager but the only thing offered to us to remedy the issue was to come back at a later time so they could make it right, or I could wait more time for something else on the menu. I asked for a refund and continued to wait for that to be processed. I missed my ferry and am really upset for this entire experience. read more

Avalon Grille - Octopus to go that I had refunded because it took almost an hour for the entire ordeal - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

Great service! Great drinks! Great food! Really great spot for a date night. We had no wait and our server was super friendly. I recommend the Wrigley Martini read more

We went to Avalon Grill for a birthday dinner, we were there for extended birthday weekend. The place was busy, likely due to the race the following morning but we were sat right away. Our waitress, Sara, was absolutely amazing. She was very friendly, gave us some history of Catalina Island, some recommendations on where to visit and offered recommendations from the menu. We had such a lovely experience, we absolutely loved Sara and nearly went back just to get that service again. We will definitely come back next visit to the island, Sara is an absolute gem, wonderful location right on the Main Street with ocean views. Couldn't have asked for a better place or service. Also, complimentary popcorn is pretty darn good! read more

Avalon Grille - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Went in for Happy Hour and per the posted ad board outside which stated all Premium Drinks were 1/2 off. But at the bar there was a limited menu of about 9 selections. When the bartender was asked he stated that only the drinks on the menu were Happy Hour prices and all other drinks were regular price. Very Deceptive! read more

Avalon Grille - Bar Food and Drinks - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Finally a solid and tasty meal here on the island. Jimmy made some recommendations and they did not disappoint. The best part was the professional staff unlike other places around here where you can tell the workers are just seasonal and don't really care. Highly recommend the Rib Eye and the watermelon/feta salad. Thanks guys!! read more

Jimmy was an amazing server!!! We had a great time, he made sure it was a very pleasurable experience, food was perfect, I loved the pork chops and my buddies enjoyed the burgers. Service made the experience a 10/10 read more

Avalon Grille - Jimmy and Long Beach locals. - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

Avalon Grille is one of the spots for upscale dining in Avalon. The guests are pretty casual, but it is a more formal atmosphere. There is a large and loud dining room with a full bar and a decedent sized, heated patio. We were mercifully seated on the patio, so it was not so loud. The service was generally attentive and helpful. This is pretty much surf and turf with prices to match. I had an interesting seared Ahi dish on top of some disappointing risotto. Flavors in the dish without the risotto were great. DH had the killer ribeye grilled cheese which was amazing. The Brussels, green bean and burrata appetizers were all excellent. Corkage is a steep $35/bottle, but we were celebrating with some pretty awesome wine and paid the price. Because there are so few restaurants in Avalon that will take a reservation, this is a great pic for a group. I would go again, but be prepared for the dent in your wallet. read more

Our waiter was amazing and he's a local from Catalina. He's totally adorable and so knowledgeable about this lovely island. My bluefin appetizer was gluten free and tasted fresh and delicious. I loved my scallops and substituted the orzo with succotash that had corn and veggies. A+ experience here tonight 9/3/24 read more

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I dined here 3 times this week. Sergei and Lindsey waiting on me. The manager Stephane is amazing and recognized me from visiting last year. The food was amazing. I got the filet and for dessert I got the candy bar. It was so amazing that I brought 2 candy bars home on the plane. Thankfully they wrapped them so well so I could take them on the plane. Thanks Stephane!! I'll see you next year!! read more

Avalon Grille - The Avalon grill candy bar. It's huge. Great for two people. - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

The grilled whole branzino was amazing -- so fresh, perfectly cooked, and beautifully deboned. The crispy ahi tuna sashimi was also delicious and full of flavor. Jimmy, our waiter, was so kind and attentive. Great food, lovely service, and a wonderful experience overall! read more

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Avalon Grille is a gorgeous and inviting spot--perfect for a memorable meal. We had the pleasure of sitting by the windows, which added to the lovely ambiance. The food truly impressed us: the ribeye, with its unique coffee-brown sugar and chili rub, was out of this world, and the halibut was cooked to perfection. A cute touch was serving popcorn instead of bread, and we couldn't forget to mention the grille's Old Fashioned cocktail, which was simply amazing. A fancy yet warm dining experience that we highly recommend! read more

Avalon Grille - Bourbon, wine and popcorn - New American Near Me - Avalon, California

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Our family recently visited Catalina for my birthday and as we walked down Crescent Avenue and hit the boardwalk, a very friendly maitre d' at the Avalon Grille offered to help me with a family photo op. Hmmmm, now where to eat dinner? How about this classy restaurant right in front of us with an amazing view and super helpful and friendly staff?! Our server Jimmy was fantastic, very friendly, attentive, professional, and he even took time to answer some of my stupid questions in great detail, cheers Jimmy! My wife and I loved the patio experience, all the food was great, even our five year old daughter ate everything on her plate (shout out to the kid's menu) and she enjoyed Jimmy's extra attention too! The upscale yet casual and comfortable dining experience was a treat. All the folks working at the Avalon Grille were very nice and attentive. I am glad to see "Customer Service" is still alive and well here, I highly recommend Avalon Grille for your next dining experience on the island. read more

The ambience was really nice and the service was great. The food was mediocre. I did not care for the popcorn which has some sort of ranch flavoring on it. Maybe it's just me, but I like popcorn to taste like popcorn , not some dressed up version. The sashimi appetizer was bland and the veggie ramen was under seasoned. The dumplings were fried. I thought they would be plain. My husband and son enjoyed the dinner more than I did. read more

Aaron-the bartender-was awesome. Highly recommend him. The food menu, on the other hand, isn't that great. The fries were nothing special and $11 for a side is insane, even on the island. The decor is great and all the staff were super friendly, but better food can be found. read more